Zoonotic Diseases of Cattle Kevin D
PUBLICATION 400-460 Zoonotic Diseases of Cattle Kevin D. Pelzer, Associate Professor, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia Tech Nancy Currin, D.V.M., Veterinary Extension Publication Specialist, Virginia Tech Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans and from humans to animals. Zoonotic diseases may be acquired or spread in a variety of ways: through the air (aerosol), by direct contact, by contact with an inanimate object that harbors the disease (fomite transmission), by oral ingestion, and by insect transmission. There are fifteen cattle diseases with zoonotic potential in the United States, some of which are more common than others. They include anthrax, brucellosis, cryptosporidiosis, dermatophilosis, Escherichia coli, giardiasis, leptospirosis, listeriosis, pseudocowpox, Q fever, rabies, ringworm, salmonellosis, tuberculosis, and vesicular stomatitis. Potential Human Exposure to Zoonotic Organisms in the U.S. Key Very Common **** Common *** Occasional ** Rare * Note: Not all exposure results in clinical disease. Additionally, symptoms may be mild and may go unnoticed. Anthrax * Anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, which forms spores that survive for years in the envi- ronment. Cattle, sheep, and goats are at the highest risk of developing anthrax, but other farm animals, as well as wildlife and humans, can contract the disease. Most animals are infected by oral ingestion of soil contaminated with anthrax spores. People develop anthrax when the organism enters a wound in the skin, is inhaled in contami- nated dust, or is eaten in undercooked meat from infected animals. Biting flies can transmit the bacterium, which results in redness and swelling at the bite site.
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